When he unwrapped the vegetable on his kitchen counter, he saw a little creature tucked up near the stem of the broccoli.
He added, “It’s lucky I didn’t just leave the broccoli out in the kitchen, or it would have been loose in the house. That would have been a huge risk for us because we have two vulnerable people living here.”
He bought the broccoli as part of his regular weekly grocery shopping rounds, he said.
When he unwrapped the vegetable on his kitchen counter, he saw a little creature tucked up near the stem of the broccoli, he said.
The ladder snake can be seen nestled between the broccoli stems inside the package. On the right, Neville Linton (far right), is shown with his son, Donovan Linton. The family drove the discovery back to the grocery store. (SWNS)
Realizing it was too big to be a caterpillar, he said he called for his sister, Ann-Marie Tenkanemin, 57, who identified it as a snake.
The pair popped it in a plastic container — and drove it back to the Aldi store where it had been purchased.
“I backed off when I saw it start moving.”
He said, “I thought she was joking at first, but I backed off when I saw it start moving. The guy in the shop was pretty frightened, too.”
At the Dudley Zoo, a specialist identified the snake as a young ladder snake, said Neville Linton’s 41-year-old son, Donovan Linton.
The elder Linton said he’s been offered some compensation, but he said he is asking for more.
Donovan Linton (left), along with his dad, Neville Linton. Said the elder Linton, “I’m phobic of snakes, so there’s the emotional impact of that, too.” (SNWS)
The dad of three said the amount offered to him does not compensate for the risk to his disabled son and his vulnerable mother-in-law, who both live with him.
He added, “It’s just not good enough — the implications for us if it had [gotten] out in the house are huge.”
He also said, “Plus, I’m phobic of snakes, so there’s the emotional impact of that, too.”
“We are investigating this isolated incident.”
An Aldi spokesperson told SNWS, “Our supplier has never had a complaint of this nature and has robust processes in place to prevent such issues occurring. We are investigating this isolated incident and have apologized to Mr. Linton that our usual high standards were not met.”
Ladder snakes are not venomous.
They’re found mostly in Portugal, Spain, southern France and parts of Italy.
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